Sewing machine lubrication



Mayj Y7, 1957 F. PARRY SEWING MACHINE LUBRICATION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 n No E fm2 n 8 Filed May 17, 1954 ATTORNEY May 7, 1957 F. PARRY SEWING MACHINE LUBRICATION 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed May 17. 1954 Fig. 4

mms/Ton Frank Parry ATT-ORNEY 2. .ma F

WITNESS v #MW United States Patent l SEWING MACHINE LUBRICATION 'Frank Parry, Trumbull, Conn., assignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 17, 1954, Serial No. 430,093

3 Claims. (Cl. 112-256) The present invention relates to sewing machines and has for a primary object to provide in a sewing machine Lan improved hibrication expedient. More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved auto- Vmatic lubrication system for a sewing machine, which system is particularly useful in a sewing machine having -a vertical Iaxis rotary hook with a cooperating vertical axis rotary bob-bin-case opener.

With the above .and other objects in View, yas will hereinafter appear, the invention comp-rises 'the devices, com- Ibinations and :arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of .a preferred embodiment of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view taken longitudinally of a sewing machine embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail sectional view on an enlarged scale of ythe right-hand 'hook-saddle as seen in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the right-hand hook-saddle assembly of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail sectional view of the rotary hook of the machine of Fig. 1 and taken substanltially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

With reference to the drawings there is illustrated a sewing machine having a frame including a bed 1 from one end of which rises aV standard 2 that carries a bracketarm 3 overhanging the bed 1 and terminating in a head 4. There are provided a removable cover-plate 5 to close the open top of the Ibracket-arm 3 and ya removable face-plate -6 to close the open end of the head 4. Journaled longitudinally of the bracket-arm 3 in suitable bearings 7 and 8 is a ibracket-arm or main-shaft 9' which, in the usual manner, extends through the end-wall of the bracket-arm and has mounted upon the exposed end thereof `a combined hand-wheel and belt-pulley 10 about ywhich a lbelt (not shown) is adaptedto be entna'ined for the purpose of ydelivering power to the machine.

There is provided a bed-shaft (11 jounnaled longitudinally of the bed 1 in suitable bearings 152. The zbed-shaft 11 has secured thereon a grooved belt-sprocket 13 which is connected lby means ofa ribbed lbelt 1'4 with la similar belt-sprocket 15y secured on the main-shaft 9 whereby the bed-shaft 11 Will Ibe rotated upon rotation of the main- Yshaft 9 at a -one-to-one ratio.

The illustrate-d machine includes -a compound feeding mechanism similar to that disclosed and claimed in my (zo-pending U. S. Patent application Serial No. 432,382, 'filed lMay 26, 1954, which is a continuation-impart of application, Serial No. 321,801, filed November A21, 1952, n-ow abandoned, to which reference may `be had for la more complete disclosure thereof. Briey, this feeding mechanism comprises a lower four-motion feed including a Afeed-bar '16 carrying the usual feed-dogs 17 acting through a throat-plate 19. Vertical feed-lift motions are vimparted to the feedsbar 16 by an eccentric Z0 secured 'ice to theb'ed-shaft 11 and embraced by a fork 21 forming an integral part of the feed-bar 16. Feedsadvance motions are imparted to the feed-bar 16 from a feed-advance Shaft 22 by suitable connections (not shown) such -as illustrated in my above-noted cci-pending appli-cation, Serial No. 321,801. The feedf-advance shaft 22 is journaled longitudinally 'of the bed 1 in suitable bearings such as 23 and has secured thereon a :bell-crank lever 24. One arm of the bell-crank lever is pivotally connected to the lower end of a pitman 25, the upper end of which ernbraces the Ieccentric portion of am adjustable eccentric 26, whereby upon rotation of the main-shaft 9 oscillation is imparted to the feed-advance shaft 22 and, consequently, feed-advance motions are imparted tothe feed-bar 16.

T he second arm 27 of the bell-crank liever 24 is pivotally connected by meansof a link 28 to the lower end of 4a rock-lever 29 secured to a needle-oscillating shaft y30 that is jounnaled longitudinally of the ybracket-arm 3 in bearings 31. Secured to the end of `the needle-oscillating shaft 30 within the head 4 is a .needle-bar carrier 32 having spaced 'bearing 33 in lwhich is journaled a needlebar 34 carrying at its lower end a pair of needles 35. The machine is, in the :usual manner, so timed that the shaft 30 will 'be osci-llated to swing the needles about the axis of :the shaft 30 while the needles are in the work, thus effecting feeding of the work, which motion is synchronized with the feeding motion of the lower feed.

Longitudinal reciprocation is imparted to the needlelbar 34 through a collar 36 that is secured to the needlebar and carries a transverse pin 37 connected by means of la connecting `rod 38 to a crank-pin 39 on a conventional connter-balanced crank 40 that is secured to the `end of the main-shaft 9. The needle-'bar 34 is held against rotation by the pin 37, one end of which rides in la slot 41 fonmed in the carrier 32.

Each of the needles is adapted to cooperate individually in la well-known manner with one of `a pair of vertical axis rotary hooks 42 and 43 in the formationof a seam consisting of two parallel lines of llock-stitches. There is also provided a =bob|bincase opener for each of the rotary hooks, which opener is similar to that disclosed and claimed in my prior Patent No. 2,476,061, July 12, 1949, to which reference may be had for a more complete disclosnre of the construction and operation thereof. The construction and openation of the loop-taker mechanism, including the rotary hook and the bobbincase opener, is hereinafter described only insofar as is necessary to obtain a full understanding of the present invention.

Each of the rotary hooks 42 and 43 is a part of a. loop-taker mechanism which is carried respectively Iby a right-hand or inner hook-saddle 44 and `a left-'hand or outer hook-saddle 45. inasmuch as each of these looptak-er mechanisms is substantially the same, ybeing only reversed7 the following description will be limited t-o the right-hand loop-taker including the hook 42 and hooksaddle 44, which is illustrated per se in Fig. 4, it being understood that this description is also applicable to the left-hand loop-taker wlhich includes the hook 43 and hooksaddle 45. The corresponding elements of each of the loop-taker mechanisms are identified by corresponding numerical designations.

The rotary hook 42 is mounted upon the upper end of a vertical axis rotary shaft 4o journaled in upper and lower bearings 4'7 and 48 in the hook-saddle 44, which hook-saddle is secured to the bed 1 for adjustment longitudinally yof the bed and relative to the needle in the usual manner. Also mounted for rotation in suitable upper and llower bearings 49 and 50 in the hook-saddle 44 is a hobcbin-case opener shaft S1. Rotation is imparted to the hook-shaft v46 by a gear 52 mounted on the bed-shaft .the lubricant being returned to the reservoir.

aromas 11, which gear 52 mesheswith a gear 53 yon the hookshaft 46. A gear 54 mounted upon the bobbin-case opener shaft `51 meshes with the gear 54 whereby rotation is imparted to the opener shaft 51. The gears 52, 53 and 54 are so dimensioned that, in the usual manner, the hook-shaft 46 is driven at a ratio of two-to-one relative to the bed-shaft 11 and the opener shaft 51 is driven Iat a one-to-one ratio relative to the bed-shaft 11.

There is provided a pan 55 enclosing the bed mechanism of the machine. That portion of pan 55 beneath the hook-saddles 44 and 45 is segregated by a wall 56 to define a lubricant reservoir 57. The reservoir 57 is .covered by 'a plate 58, the upper surface of which is dished to slope toward an aperture 59 formed therein and through which the lubricant deposited upon the upper surface of the plate 58 is drained back into the reservoir. Placed in the aperture 59 is a filter 60 which acts to filter A plug 61 is provided in the bottom of the reservoir to permit draining the same.

In addition to the antifriction bearings 47 and 48 in which the hook-shaft 46 is journaled, there is provided a bearing bushing 62 carried by the hook-saddle 44 and having a sleeve 63 that closely embraces the lower depending end of the hook-shaft 46, which end of the hookshaft is provided with a spiral groove 64, that in the usual manner, acts as 'a pump to elevate oil relative thereto. The bearing bushing 50 for the lbobbin-case opener `shaft 51 is also provided with a sleeve 65 that closely embraces the lower depending end of the opener 'shaft 51, which end of the opener-'shaft is also provided with a spiral groove 66 that acts as a pump to elevate the lubricant. The lower ends of the hook-shaft 46 and yopener-shaft 51, together with the surrounding sleeves 63 and 65, extend through an aperture 67 in the plate 58 and are immersed in the lubricant in the reservoir 57. The aperture 67 is elongated to provide for adjustment of the hook relative to the needle, as when the needle-gauge is changed. Secured to the under side of the hook-saddle 44 as by a screw 68 is a dished sheet-metal oil guard 69 having apertures therein to receive the depending lower ends of the hook-shaft 46 and opener-shaft 51 and to embrace closely the outer 'surface of the sleeves 63 and 65.

The guard 69 is large enough to cover the aperture 67 A in all positions of adjustment of the hook-saddle whereby it prevents lubricant from returning to the reservoir therethrough and insuring that it will be returned through the lter 60.

The rotary hook 42, has formed therein an internal -raceway in which is journaled the bearing rib 70 of a bobbin-case carrier 71. Lubricant is delivered to the raceway from the reservoir 57 by the spiral groove 64 which, in cooperationwith the stationary sleeve 63,

pumps the lubricant upwardly towards an annular groove 72 formed in the periphery of the hook-shaft 46 and connected by a radial bore 73 with an axial bore 74 in the hook-shaft. The lubricant is conducted from the bore 74 to the raceway by means more clearly disclosed in my prior Patent No. 2,447,987, August 24, 1948, which briefly, includes a cartridge inserted in the upper end of the bore 74, which cartridge includes a short piece of wicking 75 and a metal cap member 76 having an internal bore with a communicating radial bore to conduct toward the raceway the lubricant forced upwardly through the wick 7S. The Ilubricant is then carried by centrifugal force to the bobbin-case raceway. The flow of the lubricant to the bore 74 is controlled by a by-pass as illustrated in Fig. 4, which by-pass includes a bore 77 formed in the bushing 62 and in the body portion yof the hook-saddle 44 and communicating with a radially disposed port 78 provided with a valve 79 that controls the opening ofthe port 78. In Fig. 4, the valve 79 is adjusted to completely close the port 78 and `consequently all the oil pumped will be delivered to the hook.

The means for lubricating the mechanism of the machine carried by the bracket-arm 3 includes an auxiliary reservoir 80 formed in the upper portion of the bracketarm 3 and selectively connected by means of a wick 81 with a well 82 that is lled with a lubricant-absorbent pad 83 and from which it is conducted to the various mechanisms. The details yof the above lubrication means 4are disclosed in my above mentioned co-pending patent application, Serial No. 321,801, and co-pending application, Serial No. 398,275, tiled December 15, 1953,

to which reference may be had for a more complete description of the same. Briefly, the means for selectively controlling the flow of the lubricant from the reservoir 80 to the well 82 comprises a leaf spring 84 which carries the end of the Wick 81 normally out of contact with the lubricant in the reservoir. The free end of the spring 84 and thus the end of the wick may be depressed by a manually-actuated plunger 8S extending through the cover-plate 5. The plunger may be held in depressed position against the action of the spring 84 by a radial arm 86 that, when the plunger 85 is depressed kand given a quarter-turn, will underlie a boss 87 on the cover-plate 5.

Lubricant is carried from the well 82 to the bearing surface between the arm-shaft 9 and bearing 8 by a radial wick-filled `aperture 88 in the bearing 8 and to the takeup mechanism by a wick 89 running through a longitudinal bore in the pivot pin 90 of the take-up lever. Excess lubricant from these elements drains to the bottom of the head 4 where it is collected in a sump 91 and from which it is carried as by a wick 92 to the other mechanism in the head 4 and by a wick 93 to the needlefeed mechanism.

Lubricant is delivered to the auxiliary reservoir 80 by a conduit 94 and the excess is drained therefrom by a conduit 95. The conduit 94 is connected to one end of a coupling member 96 the other end of which is fitted into a bore in the body of the hook-saddle 44 and in communication with a bore 97 in bearing bushing 50, which in turn, is in communication with an `annular groove 98 in the periphery of the opener shaft 51. The spiral groove 66 on the opener shaft 51, in cooperation with the sleeve 65, pumps lubricant from the reservoir 57 into the groove 98, from which it is conducted to the auxiliary reservoir 80. The conduit is connected to one end of a coupling member 99, the other end of which is fitted into a bore in the body of the hook-saddle 44 and in communication with a bore 100 in bearing bushing 49 through which lubricant is conducted to the surface between the bushing 49 and the opener-shaft 51. The bore 100 is intersected by a vertical bore 101 in the bearing bushing 49 through which the lubricant ilows into an annular channel 102 in the upper surface of gear 54. The lubricant is thrown by centrifugal force from the channel 102 when the machine is operated and thereby lubricates the contacting surfaces not only between gears 54 and 53, but also between gears 53 and 52. The lubricant so thrown-off is finally deposited on the plate 58 and returned to the reservoir 57 through the aperture S9.

With reference to the hook-Saddle 45, the lubrication means is the same as employed in the hook-saddle 44 as above explained, except that the coupling member 96 is connected directly by a conduit 103 with the coupling member 99.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

1. In a sewing machine having a bed, a standard rising from one end of said bed and a bracket arm carried by said standard and overhanging said bed, said bracket arm terminating in a head, stitching mechanism including a needle bar mounted for reciprocation in said head and a cooperating rotary hook including a vertical axis rotary hook shaft journaled in said bed, a bobbin case opener including a vertical axis rotary shaft journaled in said bed, a lubricant reservoir in said bed below said hook shaft and said bobbin case opener shaft and into which said shafts extend, means associated with said hook shaft for pumping lubricant from said reservoir to the raceway of said rotary hook, a pair of relatively moving elements, one of said elements being said opener shaft and the other of said elements being a stationary element, one of said elements surrounding and closely embracing the periphery of the other of said elements and one of said elements having an axially extending spiral groove formed in the surface in contact with the other of said elements, said elements extending into said reservoir whereby said spiral groove will pump lubricant from said reservoir axially of said opener shaft, a conduit in communication with the discharge of said spiral groove and arranged to conduct lubricant to the machine mechanisms, and means for returning to said reservoir the excess lubricant delivered to said machine mechanisms.

2. In a sewing machine having a bed, a standard rising from one end of said bed and a bracket arm carried by said standard and overhanging said bed, said bracket arm terminating in a head, stitching mechanism including a needle bar mounted for vertical reciprocation in said n head and a cooperating rotary hook including a vertical axis rotary hook shaft journaled on said bed, a bobbin case opener including a vertical axis rotary opener shaft journaled in said bed, a main lubricant reservoir in said bed below said hook shaft and said bobbin case opener shaft and into which said shafts extend, means associated with said rotary hook shaft for pumping lubricant from said main reservoir to the raceway of said rotary hook, an auxiliary reservoir in said bracket arm, means for conducting lubricant from said auxiliary reservoir to the head mechanisms of the machine, means for delivering lubricant from said main reservoir to said auxiliary reservoir, and means for returning to said main reservoir the excess lubricant delivered to said auxiliary reservoir, said means for delivering lubricant to said auxiliary reservoir comprising a `Spiral pump extending into said main reservoir and a conduit in communication with the discharge of said spiral pump and arranged to conduct lubricant to said auxiliary reservoir, said spiral pump having a pair of relatively movable elements, one of said elements being said opener shaft and the other of said elements being a stationary element, one of said elements surrounding and closely embracing the periphery of the other of said elements and one of said elements having an axially extending spiral groove formed in the surface in contact with the other of said elements.

3. In a sewing machine having a bed, a standard rising from one end of said bed and a bracket arm carried by said standard and overhanging said bed, stitching mechanism including a needle bar mounted for reciprocation in said head and a cooperating rotary hook including a verticai axis rotary hook shaft journaled in said bed, a bobbin case opener including a vertical axis rotary opener shaft journaled in said bed, a rotary bed shaft journaled in said bed, intermeshing gears on said bed shaft, hook shaft, and opener shaft to impart rotation to said hook shaft and said opener shaft upon rotation of said bed shaft, a lubricant reservoir in said bed, a spiral pump associated with said hook shaft and extending into said reservoir for pumping lubricant from said reservoir to the raceway of said rotary hook, a spiral pump associated with the lower end of said opener shaft and extending into said reservoir for pumping lubricant from said reservoir, means for conducting lubricant from the discharge of said spiral pump on said opener shaft to the upper end of said opener shaft for lubricating the same and said intermeshing gears, and means for returning to said reservoir the excess lubricant.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,936,372' waterman Nov. 21, 193s 2,476,061 Parry July 12, 1949 2,712,802 Comu July 12, 1955 

